Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ Categories

General

You may register with any political party recognized in the State of North Carolina. Party affiliation determines the primary in which a voter is eligible to vote. You may also register as unaffiliated. If you do not declare a party, you will be registered as unaffiliated. During a partisan primary election, an unaffiliated voter may vote only if a party authorizes unaffiliated voters to vote in their primary. If all parties authorize unaffiliated voters to vote, the voter must choose which party ballot he wishes to vote on the day of the Primary.

If mailed, the registration form must be postmarked at least 25 days prior to the election. If hand-delivered, the registration form must be received at the Board of Elections office no later than 5:00 pm on the 25th day prior to the election.

When you register to vote or make an address change or information change, or if the Board of Elections assigns you to a new precinct or polling place, the Board of Elections sends you a new voter card. Your voting place (polling place) is printed on the card. You are assigned a polling place based on the precinct where you live. You may also search the website voter search utility to determine your registration status and voting location. The voter information is updated daily. If you don't know where to vote, check your registration for the information. If you have moved from the residence address that we have on file, don't wait until Election Day to change your address. You may experience a delay in voting if your residence address is not up to date or if we have sent mail to your voter registration address that was returned to us by the Postal Service.

If you are not sure of the status of your voter registration, call the Board of Elections office at 703-2800 and someone will verify your registration status. You may also search the website voter search utility to determine your registration status and voting location. The voter information there is updated daily.

If a registered voter in Forsyth County has moved within Forsyth County more than thirty days prior to an election and failed to notify the Board of Elections, it is a violation of the law to vote in his/her old precinct. The voter may still vote on Election Day. Call the Board of Elections for further information. Don’t wait until the last minute or miss the deadline. Print the Voter Registration Application Form and mail it to us.

All registered voters in Forsyth County may request an absentee ballot by mail or may vote absentee in person (one-stop voting). Listing an excuse is no longer required. For more detailed information, read about Absentee Voting.

North Carolina law now allows No Excuse Absentee Voting for all elections. You may submit a written request to have a ballot mailed to you or vote at designated locations. Read more about Absentee Voting.

In North Carolina, county boards
of elections follow a comprehensive list maintenance schedule, pursuant to
N.C.G.S 163-82.14, to remove names of individuals who are no longer eligible to
be registered due to death, felony conviction, removal from the county, or lack
of voter contact.

There are several ways to cancel your own Forsyth County registration:

When you register to vote in a new county or state, you can complete the "Previous Voter Registration" section of the registration form. That county or state will notify Forsyth County that you have moved, and we will then cancel your Forsyth County registration.

Complete the back of your voter card with the new address and county information and send the voter card to the Forsyth County Board of Elections.

Click here to access a cancellation form to remove yourself from our voter registration records.

Pursuant to N.C.G.S. 163-82.14(b), the only time a person is authorized to cancel the registration of another person is when the voter is a near relative cancelling the registration of a deceased family member. If your deceased relative is still registered to vote in Forsyth County, click here to access the Notice of Deceased Voter form to remove your relative from our voter registration records.

A near relative is defined as a spouse, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, child, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, or as a verifiable legal guardian.